Nunavik Police Association pays tribute to a fallen comrade

"When Steve Dery took his final First Air flight home, he took a piece of each officer with him"

NUNATSIAQ NEWS

Police carry boxes out of House 1080 on Chopper Crescent in Kuujjuaq March 3, about 22 hours after a call to police about a domestic dispute, which resulted in the death a young Kativik Regional Police Force constable and a Kuujjuaq man. Another police officer was wounded during the incident. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

The Nunavik Police Association said in a March 4 statement that it’s offering its “deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Steve Dery,” their Kativik Regional Police Force colleague who was killed March 3 in Kuujjuaq as he and his partner, Joshua Boreland, responded to a call involving a domestic dispute.

“We are all deeply affected by the loss of Steve Dery who was killed on duty at the age of 27. We also feel and share the pain of Joshua Boreland, who was injured alongside Steve; he will remember this event for the rest of his life,” the statement said.

The two responded to a call that police in Nunavik refer to as being a “routine family dispute call, as it is the most common kind of call we get.”

“We must point out the courage and dedication of the officers in Kuujjuaq, who despite the situation, stayed strong and continued on at the scene to ensure the safety of the public, until the assistance of the Sûreté du Québec could arrive and take over the situation,” the 50-plus members of the association said.

“We would also like to thank all family, friends and everyone else who are sending kind words and support from across the country. These thoughts are deeply appreciated.”

As for Dery, “his smile and good spirits will be forever remembered,” they said.

“He was a police officer in which all officers could model themselves after. When Steve Dery took his final First Air flight home, he took a piece of each officer with him; he will be in our hearts and memories forever.”